Game apparatus.



No. 639,7!9. Patented Dec. 26,- I899. W. C. FABNUM.

GAME APPARATUS.

(Application filed Jan. 14, 1899.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES, INYEN'I'DR,

\ WILLIAM E. FARNUM, 772M I BY ATTURNEY.

UNITED STATESv WILLIAM C. FARNUM, OF ARLINGTON, VERMONT.

GAME AAPPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,719, dated December 26, 1899.

Application filed January 14:, 1899. Serial No- 702,l29. (No model.) v

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM C. FARNUM, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Arlington, in the county of Bennington and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention falls in that class of games in which a missile or projectile is thrown at a target which has provisions in the nature of a net for catching and holding the projectile when hit and for indicating the value of each successful shot.

The features of novelty and invention reside in the construction and mode of use of the target, the missile, and the implement for hurling the missile,which I call a projector.

The requisites and mode of counting the game may be varied to suit the fancy of the gamester; but the method of using the apparatus is substantially the same in all games to which the apparatus is adapted.

The drawings fully elucidate my invention, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the target. Fig. 2 is a perspective view, in two positions, of the projector. Fig. 3 shows how the projector may be held in 'and operated by the hands. Figs. land 5 show two positions of the same missile at different stages of its flight.

The missile embodies the leading features of the invention and will first be described.

One of them,

Two embodiments are shown. is-a horseshoe and the other a beetle or butterfly. Any other suitable object will answer. To the heel-calk of the horseshoe two short, soft, or flexible cords or strings are attached, each having a small but heavy weight E fastened to its free end. These weights may be of iron or lead, preferably the latteras, for instance, lead shot. The projectile N is similarly equipped with cords F and weights E, which are attached to the head of the insect, and thus resemble its antennae. These weights are analogous in the function they perform to anchors, and they may properly be so designated. The bodies N and D of the missiles should be made of light materia1- as, for instance, pith, cork, or paper-so that in their flight their bodies shall offer much greater resistance to the air than the anchors.

The object of this disparity in surface and density between the anchors and the bodies to which they are fastened is to give the anchors the lead in flight, so that they may reach and engage the target and attach themselves thereto ahead of the bodies of the missiles.

As shown in Fig. 1, the target consists of a frame A, across which are stretched the strands O O in reticulated form, so as to form a net with meshes sufficiently open to allow the anchors E E to pass through them and small enough to obstruct the body of the missile. These transverse series of open meshes have their respective values marked on the frame, as shown by the numerals 1, 2, 3,&c. The value of the meshes is also indicated by variously coloring the strands, the central mesh having one color and the concentric series of meshes other colors. The frame is supported by the standards B B, the tops of which are slotted, as shown at s s, to take in the frame, which is gained across its bars to receive such slotted tops. The value of each mesh or check may be fixed by the lowest numeral standing opposite it in either of the two transverse series of which the given square forms the intersection, or it may be determined by multiplying together the two numbers which mark the twoseries. Thus the square marked R occupies the intersection of ranges 3 and 5, and its value, accordingly, would be three or fifteen, according to whichever way its value is determined by the rules of the particular game being played. The highest value is ascribed to the center square, which would be either ten or one hundred.

The device for throwing the missile (shown in Fig. 2) consists of a rolling bar- G, from which projects at a right angle an arm J, to the end of which the missile-holder L is attached. This holder may be of any convenient form or design to support and carry the missile in a correct position inthe act of throwing it. The roller-bar G possesses fea tures which distinguish it from other devices for like purposes in these particulars. It may be operated lying flat upon the surface of a table, as in Fig. 2, or by holding it in the two hands, as in Fig. 3. The front part of its under side h is a fiat plane, which is inclined to the plane of arm J, while its rear projector may be dispensed with and the-mis edge '1' is rounded, as shown at p. In the case shown the carrier-head L is fitted with an open forwardly inclined groove or missileseat on to hold the missile or horseshoe D. When used on the table, this projector is placed on its back, as in Fig. 2, and the missile D is put in position. With the fingers then resting upon the top edge 19 of the rollerbar G by pressing downwardly the bar is smartly rolled on the convex surface 4" until the rear edge (1 strikes the under side of the thumb or fingers. The player can control the extent of the upward throw of the holder L by the position of the thumbs or fingers, by which he presses or rolls the bar. This sudden movement and sudden stop projects the missile forwardly toward the target. In its flight as the light body of the missile encounters the resistance of the air its motion is reand meeting with less resistance forge ahead of the body and before they reach the target are dragging the body after them. change of relative positions of the body and anchors is shown by comparison of Fig. 4 with Fig. 5. When the anchors E E reach the target, they either pass through the meshes and drag the body of the missile up against the strands, when the shock causes the anchors to recoil and wind the cords F around the strands O, or, if they strike the strands, they glance OE and then pass through the net and eitherdrop down on the back side or wind around the strands, as before.

The projector may be wholly manipulated in the hands by holding it as shown. in Fig. 3, the upper edge or head 13 being lightly grasped between the thumbs and forefingers, while the round bottom 4 rests on the second fingers. By depressing the thumbs or closing them against the forefingers the bar G is ing of a longitudinal bar provided at one end with a holder for supporting the missile in proper position, and a transverse rolling bar 1 across its opposite end having a convex under surface upon which the bar may be rocked, an upper forward rib or edge against which Q the operating thumbs or fingers may be :pressed in the act of throwing the missile, and Ea rearward lower edge for limiting and arresting the rolling movement of the bar by i encountering the under side of the operators 3 thumbs or fingers as the case may he.

suddenly rolled upon the second fingers until the rear edge q brings up under and against the thumbs, thus suddenly discharging the projectile. In this case I have shown the missile with two connected anchorsto render the attachment of the missile to the target more certain; but this is not indispensable, as one anchor fully exemplifies this part of my invention, and therefore I do not confine myself to a plurality of anchors, but claim any number.

In the use of the target and missiles the siles may be thrown by hand or in any other way, so that I do not regard the use of the projector as indispensable to the employment of the other parts of the apparatus in play- I ing any game.

This apparatus may be adapted to a variety This the center of the net has passed.

I therefore claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, the following:

1. In a game apparatus, a missile consisting of a body of light, buoyant material to which one or more relatively heavy anchors of small dimensions are attached by flexible connections, whereby, when the missileis suddenly j projected, the anchors will lead. and drag the 1 body after them.

tarded; but the anchors E E being heavier 1 2. In a game apparatus, a reticulated target in the nature of a catching-net, adapted to be 3 used in connection. with a missile consisting of a body of light, buoyant material of dimensions broader than the meshes of the net, f to which body one or more relatively heavy anchors small enough to pass freely through the meshes. of the net are attached by flexible connections.

3. In a game apparatus, a reticulated target in the nature of a catching-net, adapted to be used in connection with a missile consisting of a light body broader than the meshes of the net having a small, relatively heavieranchor capable of passing through the meshes of the net attached thereto by a flexible connection, as a string, so adapted that when the missile is thrown at the target the anchor will first pass through the meshes of the target and by its recoil will wind the connectingstring around one of the strands of the net.

l. A projector for throwing missiles consist- Signed by me at North Bennington, Vermont, this 11th day of January, 1899.

WILLIAM C. FARNUM.

Witnesses:

FRANKLIN Sco'r'r, EMILY SCOTT.

ICC 

